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For policy makers

Go Gentle has campaigned for voluntary assisted dying laws in every Australian state. We have briefings and resources on most topics related to the end of life, drawn from national and global evidence and expertise. If you can’t see what you’re looking for, please email [email protected]


On this page

Our policy priorities

Upcoming state reviews

Go Gentle briefings

Go Gentle submissions

Useful links

The importance of evidence-based policy making 


Our policy priorities

  • Pass voluntary assisted dying laws in the Northern Territory and Australian Capital Territory
  • Change the Commonwealth Criminal Code so carriage services such as Telehealth and email can be used for voluntary assisted dying
  • Add voluntary assisted dying to the Medicare Benefits Schedule so doctors can be properly remunerated and patients do not face excessive out-of-pocket expenses
  • Remove state residency requirements so Australians accessing voluntary assisted dying can be with family or loved ones at the end of life
VAD in your state
The law in your state  

Every Australian state has now legalised voluntary assisted dying. Although all laws follow the broad 'Australian model' of VAD, there are some key differences in eligibility criteria and processes between each state.

Click on your state to find out more >

 

Upcoming state reviews

Each state's VAD law has a review process scheduled in the legislation. The exact structure of these reviews is not defined, but we expect they will invite submissions from the general public, health professionals and interested stakeholders. Most laws state that the reviews must be completed within a year.

Victoria Expected from June 2023
Western Australia Expected from July 2023
Tasmania Expected from March 2024
New South Wales Expected from November 2025
Queensland Expected from January 2026
South Australia Expected from January 2027


Go Gentle briefings


Go Gentle submissions

 

Useful links

 

The importance of evidence-based policy making

In the video below, Queensland University of Technology Professor Ben White explains why evidence-based policy making is so important.

Pyramid chart showing increasing reliability of information with anecdotes and opinions at the bottom, and met-analyses and systemic reviews at the top. Quality also increases when evidence includes courts, panels, peer reviews and non-partisan parliamentary committees.